LL.M. Transnational Business Practice with Internship

For U.S.-Trained Applicants

Whether you are a recent law school graduate who is seeking to augment your J.D. study with an additional program of graduate work focused on international business law, or an experienced attorney who would like to transition the focus of your practice to international business law, or want to expand your knowledge and add depth to your practice with a comprehensive program of graduate study, our LL.M. in Transnational Business Practice with Internship is the program for you.

The internship program closes with a three- to five-day post-internship Intercultural Legal Competence Workshop on the Sacramento campus of Pacific McGeorge in which students compare and evaluate legal cultures and systems in their host and home countries. Students will address questions about the differences in legal practice, ethics, and approaches to transactions, negotiations, litigation and other dispute resolution.

The Transnational Business Practice LL.M. with Internship includes one semester of study on the Pacific McGeorge campus and the opportunity to participate in a 12-week internship with an international law firm anywhere around the world.

Internship Highlights

Find the ideal internship through our strong international network of alumni and professional colleagues

Compare and evaluate legal cultures and systems in your host and home countries with the post-internship Intercultural Legal Competence Workshop

Gain real-world work experience through full immersion into the daily work of the internship firm

Program Requirements

24 units of study

Fourteen (14) units to be completed in residence during the fall semester on the Pacific McGeorge Sacramento campus, except that with prior approval up to two of such units may be completed off campus as Directed Research during the spring semester.

Ten (10) units upon successful completion of an internship of at least 12 weeks during the spring semester followed by completion of the three to five-day post-internship intercultural legal competence workshop.

Cumulative grade point average of 2.33 on a 4.33 scale

Required Courses

LL.M. Legal Research (two semester units in the fall and two semester units in the spring) — Only for those trained outside of the United States

1 With prior approval, candidates may also be permitted to enroll in other elective courses relevant to transnational business practice not listed above for the purposes of completing the 14 units in the fall semester. Note: Not all electives listed above are offered in every academic year.2 With prior approval, may be taken in the Spring.3 Limited to LL.M. candidates from civil law jurisdictions for Fall enrollment only.

The Internship

Candidates are placed in a law firm for a minimum of 12 weeks in one of many countries located around the world. Interns are expected to be fully integrated into the daily work of the host firm. Among the tasks normally assigned to interns are research, preparation and review of documents, client interviews, negotiations, and observing court appearances.

The internship must be completed in a country other than the candidate's own country of law study. While geographic preferences are always considered, a specific location cannot be guaranteed. Placements in some countries require proficiency in the local language.

Pacific McGeorge relies on its strong international network of alumni and professional colleagues for internship placements. In recent years, LL.M. candidates have interned in Austria, mainland China, Denmark, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Italy, Luxembourg, The Netherlands, Spain, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, the United States, and Vietnam.

We work diligently with the student to find an appropriate placement and have an excellent record of finding placements for students, but securing a placement always depends upon an appropriate match between individual qualifications and the needs/offerings of host firms. The more flexibility a student has in terms of location and the stronger a student's qualifications, the greater the chances are of obtaining a rewarding placement.

During the course of the internship, students are required to keep a journal and to communicate periodically reflecting upon their experience and observations with the faculty supervising this program.

The internship program closes with a three- to five-day post-internship Intercultural Legal Competence Workshop on the Sacramento campus of Pacific McGeorge in which students compare and evaluate legal cultures and systems in their host and home countries, addressing such questions as differences in legal practice, ethics, and approaches to transactions, negotiations, litigation and other dispute resolution. In rare cases with good cause shown and prior approval, in lieu of attending the post-placement workshop, students may prepare a paper reflecting on and analyzing these topics as illuminated during their internships and prior experience.